Improvement in fence-posts



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORYDON PUTNAM AND LEVI S. TOTMAN, OF OASADAGA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,987, dated June 18, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

We, CORYDON PUTNAM and LEVI S. Tor MAN, of Gasadaga, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification:

We are aware that previous to our invention cast-iron posts, having the portion which enter the ground provided with wings or flanges to increase the surface of resistance, have been in public use. Our invention relates to a post out out of sheet-iron, and adapted to be used in either an ordinary board fence, wire fence, or picket-fence. The invention consists of a fence-post composed of wood and sheet-iron,

with the base or portion which enters the ground bent so as to form an angle-iron for stiffening the same, while the portion of the sheet-iron above the ground is stifi'ened by a wooden piece bolted thereto, which also permits the panels or boards to be nailed thereto in the ordinary manner of building a common board fence. I

In the accompanying drawing, Figure I is an elevation of our improved post as employed in a board fence. Fig. II is a horizontal section of the post in line a: :20, Fig. I. Fig. IIIis a similar section of the base of the post in line y y. Fig. IV is a vertical cross-section of the same.

Like letters of reference designate like parts in each of the figures.

A is the sheet-iron post, and a the flange or flanges of the base-portion which enters the ground, formed by bending the sheet-iron after it has been cut of the required form. a is a flange formed at the top of the post, and B the wooden brace or stiffener applied to the side of the post above the ground, to which it is secured by bolts 0. piece B extends a little below the top of the base, so as to stiffen the post at the point where the flange a terminates. The piece B should be of suificient width to allow the abutting ends of the board D to be nailed thereto in the ordinary manner, as shown in Fig. II.

In such board fence the cap-board E is secured to the top of the post loya nail passing through the flange a and into the end of the wooden piece B, as shown in Fig. I.

Although our improved post is more especially designed for the ordinary board fence, yet it is evident that it may also be employed in the construction of a wire or a picket fence.

What we claim as our invention is- The combination, with the post A, formed of sheet-iron, and provided with a lateral base flange or flanges a, of the wooden stiffener B bolted to the post, as shown and described.

GORYDON PUTNAM. LEVI S. TOTMAN. Witnesses:

FRANK A. TEED, DAVID J. TOTMAN.

The lower end of the 

